Erik Tryggelin - Sankt Matteus Church

Erik Tryggelin (1878-1962) Sweden

Sankt Matteus Church, 1907

oil on board
signed and dated E.Tryggelin 3/5 1907
unframed 51 x 34.5 cm
framed 62 x 45.5 cm

Provenance: 
A Swedish private collection. 

Essay:
The painting we have for sale, executed by Swedish artist Erik Tryggelin on May 3rd, 1907, presents an atmospheric and dynamic view of Sankt Matteus Church in Stockholm. This piece is a prime example of Tryggelin's ability to blend figurative compositions with urban motifs, particularly capturing the evening moods of cityscapes. The church, set against a dramatic sky that swirls with tumultuous clouds and birds in flight, conveys a feeling of timelessness and stoic beauty amidst the changing weather.

Erik Tryggelin was not only a painter but also a skilled draftsman, printmaker, and photographer. His oeuvre primarily consists of city scenes and evening ambiences, especially from Stockholm, Visby, and Vadstena. 

Sankt Matteus Church, the subject of this painting, is the parish church in Sankt Matteus parish in the Stockholm diocese, located in the Vasastan area of central Stockholm. Erected based on the designs of architect Erik Lallerstedt at the intersection of Vanadisvägen and Dalagatan between 1901-1903, it originally served as a chapel in the then Adolf Fredrik's parish. The building exudes a mix of Art Nouveau and Neo-Gothic styles, with its tall spire and ornate facades, which Tryggelin has masterfully captured in this painting.

Tryggelin's work offers a glimpse into Stockholm's society at the dawn of the 20th century, a city caught between the old and the new, where traditional forms and emerging modernism intersected. His paintings, such as the one of Sankt Matteus Church, are significant for their cultural and historical value, capturing the essence of Stockholm’s architectural and cultural history. This piece is not only a visual treat but a fragment of Stockholm's soul, as seen through the eyes of a dedicated artist who chronicled the city's narrative with his brush.